The present invention relates to a stand for supporting and securing items such as a portable computer.
Continuing advancements and developments in portable computers and their accessories have resulted in increasing use of portable computers in a wide range of environments such as in vehicles or in situations where a relatively flat surface on which to place the computer is not available.
An increasing number of sales representatives, insurance adjusters, delivery truck drivers and other workers who spend a considerable portion of their work time in a vehicle, carry portable computers in their vehicles to facilitate the entry, retrieval and utilization of data before, during and after sales calls, deliveries or out of office meetings. Unfortunately, most vehicles are not designed to function as desks. The portable computer is usually placed in the passenger seat while the worker is in transit, and then placed in the worker's lap during use, hopefully after parking the vehicle. Many portable computers are damaged when the vehicle comes to a relatively quick stop and the momentum of the unrestrained portable computer causes it to crash into the dash of the car. In addition, trying to operate a portable computer in your lap while in the relatively cramped confines of an automobile can prove awkward and uncomfortable. A worker may also need to use the portable computer in the field at locations where neither a desk nor any other acceptable relatively flat surface is available for supporting the computer during use.
Although various table type structures, stands and the like have been developed for use in supporting items in a vehicle, most of these tables or stands do not provide means for securing items to the table at least without modifying the item itself or which would not impair the useability and accessibility to a portable computer secured thereon. U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,936 issued to Wang on Aug. 8, 1995, discloses a table with clamps for securing an item therebetween. However, the clamps, which expand and retract along a fixed axis, may tend to block or cover up various ports, slots, electrical connectors or related openings along the sides of the portable computer which permit use of various accessories. Such ports, slots, and connectors might comprise floppy drives, CD rom readers, PC card slots, power supply ports, mouse attachment ports, printer ports, ports for connecting full size screens and keyboards, ports for modem cards and the like. The location of these openings, ports or connectors varies from computer to computer and therefore the table is limited in the variety of computers with which it may be used without restriction. There continues to be a need for a stand which may be secured in a vehicle for supporting and securing almost any brand or style of personal computer thereon without impairing accessibility to the various ports, accessories or connectors for various accessories.